Filing system



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,323

RN]. WOOD FILING SYSTEM Eiled ab. '7, 19231 EEIIIIMEIEEM! Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

o tr a state RODNEY J. W001), 035 DAYTON, OHIO.

FILING SYSTEM.

Application filed February'7, 1921. Serial No. 443,213.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODNEY J. Noon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county. of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to card index filing systems, and more particularly to a' visible index or guide by which any one of a series or group of sheets, cards-or leaves may be readily and quic zly selected and which will readily permit the removal and insertion of additional records, without disturbing the arrangement or interfering with the locawill be simultaneouslyvisible yet bear a certain relation with the associated cards, sheets or leaves, and independently removable and relatively adjustable, in the series, to enable changes to be made as maybe necessary.

.A further object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby particular records, may be temporarily tabbed or flagged to distinguish such records from others of the series without interfering with the selection of the cards, or obstructing the view of the guide indications.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists in the features of construction, the parts and combinations, thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the "claims.

Referring tothe drawings, 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a card index filing system embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the index guide holder, with several of the removable index guide strips engaged therein. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of one of the record cards. 4 is a further detail view illustrating the use of the consecutively numbered cards, not as record cards'per se,

but as division cards for data sheets introe duced therebetween. Fig. 5 illustrates a modification and Figs. '6 and"? flagging devices. Fig. -8 is a detail-view of a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 2, for retaining the data strips in place.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference thruoutthe several views. -The present invention is applicable not only to card index records for stock, name guides, accounting purposes, or other rec ords, but may be also used as a file for sale slips, record or data sheets, or other loose memoranda which may be deposited between tllie consecutively numbered cards of the fi e.

Referring to the drawings, wherein is disclosed the preferred, butvnot necessarily the only embodiment of the invention, there is shown in Fig. 1 a series of cards 2-2 separated into a plurality of groups 3 by-interposed index guides at. The individual cards of each group are formed with overlapping cut-outs or'tabs of different length as at 6. The cards comprising each group are progressively arranged with the cut-out or tab 6 of each card overlapping that of theadjacent card,,so that the overlapping portions of thesuccessive cards arerslmultaneously exposed 1n a transverse senes.

Each card is provided on such exposed overlap with an identification character. In

the present instance, the cardsof-eaclr group are numerically designated by figures upon such exposed portions of the successive overlaps of the tab 6. Any number of cards may be utilized in a group, the maximum,

of which is determined by the capacity of I the index guide 4. In the present instance,

twenty-five numerical cards have been shown in each group. In addition to these numerical cards, there have been shown centrally in" each group, lettered cards 7 identifying the successive groups alphabetically in accordance with the initials of names to which the cards of the group pertains'. The use of an overlap of the tab '6' of one of the cards 2 forthis purpose, is. a

mere matter of convenience, and in lieu of placing the alphabetical designation of the group upon a centrally disposed overlap, such alphabetical designation may 'beapplied to the index guide .L-as-shown at 8 in a Fig. 2. In the first or foremost group of F ig. 1. only one identifying letter hasbeen utilized, which is the initial letter of the family name, to which the cards of the foremost group pertain. In the second group, the group designation comprises the first two letters of the name, in this instance Ba, and all of the names to which the cards of the second group pertain begin with the letters Ba, as Baker, Baer, Barr, etc. The index of names, pertaining to each group of cards is found upon the guide member 4 pertaining "to such: group, which also serves to divide the groups one from another. lhat is to say, the guide members 4 for the various groups are interposed between the succeeding groups-3 of individual dual cards.

This index guide 4 comprises a frame like member 9, preferably though not necessarily provided with a continuous sheet back 10, against which are supported a plurality of independently removable index or name tags or strips 11. The lower ends of these strips 11 are seated in an upturned channel.- li'ke transversely arranged bar 12, and extend thence to approximately the upper edge of the support. These index tags or strips 11 are arranged side by each in the holder or support, and are maintained in their adjusted position by a transversely arranged bar 13 of the supporting structure, which extends across the faces of the respective strips or tags 11. The strips or tags are longitudinally insertable behind the transverse bar 13, independent of each other and are further capable of lateral sliding adjustment, in the event that one or more of the strips are removed. These strips or tags may comprise uniform strips of thin cardboard or heavy paper or for permanent records, they may be of celluloid or other suitable material. Inorder to prevent accidental disengagement of the index tags or strips 11, from the support or holder, the lower portions of these strips or tags are preferably though not necessarily formed of double thickness below the intersection of the a transverse bar 13, whereby there is formed a shoulder 15, tending to engage with the transverse bar 13 to limit the outward. movement of the strips or tags. in lieu of forming the lower portions of the tags or strips of double thickness as at 1 1, the tags may be formed with an integral tongue 16 shown "in Fig. 5. Either of these constructions permit the strip or tag to be easily and readily inserted behind the transverse bar 13, but prevent the withdrawal of the strip .or tag, without careful manipulation to enable the shoulder 15 or tongue 16 to pass the retaining bar 15.

Inscribed upon the strip or tag 11 are the names of the persons whose records are contained within the accompanying group of cards or to whom the record cards pertain. There is one name inscribed upon each strip or tag 11, and one strip or tag is provided for each of the cards 2, contained in reac es the accompanying group. Instead, however, of the names being arranged upon the index, in the same order that the cards occur in the group, they are preferably arranged in sequence according to the letters of the name occupying a predetermined position following the initial. For instance in the foremost group or A group, the names are arranged in alphabetical sequence according to the second letter of the name, while in the second group of 1, which is designated as the Ba group, the series of names pertaining to such group are alphabetically arranged according to'the letters of the third position of such names. For convenience in quickly locating the desired name, the index letter of name whether the same be the second, third or some other position letter, is preferably though not necessarily inscribed at the extreme upper end of the or strip. 11, as is shown at 17, in Fig. 1. Thus ifthe name Barker is desired, reference is made to the Ba group and then by glancing along the upper end of the tags or strips, the third letter r is found, associated with which will be all the names beginning Bar. On the other hand, if Bauman is the name selected, the Ba group is referred to, and on the upper end of the tags, the third position letter u is found, which will inclicate Bauman and other names of like character. Having thus located the desired name upon the guide index 1, there will be found on such strip or tag on which the selected name occurs an identification character, in this case a number, which agrees with the number of an individual card in the group. For instance, in Fig. 1, the tag or strip bearing the name B. E. Barker, bears the identification number 7, so that reference is then made to the individual card numbered '7 in the accompanying group, for the record or data pertaining to B. E. Barker. Likewise the tag or strip bearing the name J. C. Backus, bears the identification number 12, and the record or data pertaining to'J. C. Backus will be found by reference to the individual card numbered 12 in the accompanying Ba group. The exposed portion of the index strip or tag 11 below the transverse retaining bar 13 may be utilized to inscribe the address of the persons namedthereon, or any other identification data which may be found desirable.

V'Vhile if desired, record entries or data may be entered directly upon the group cards 2, the preferable arrangement is to use these group cards merely as depositoriesbetween which data sheets, sales slips, records or other papers'pertaining to the particular parties may be deposited. Such use of the file is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein there are shown two successive group cards 2, between which are shown a series of record leaves or slips 19. The objection to entering the data directly upon the group cards is that in the event of the discontinuance of any particular records, such group cards must be removed, and a dupli cate having exactly the same cut-out and identification number or character substituted therefor; To the contrary, by using the group cards as depositories between which data sheets or record sheets are positioned, a different name tag or. strip may be substituted upon the guide index, without necessitating the substitution of a new group card. The file constructed as described is extremely flexible, enabling the name tags or strips upon the guide index to be changed and substituted at will or to be re-arranged as new names are added or an old one removed, without in any way disturbing the arrangement of the group cards, or the matter deposited therebetween or entered thereon. The file is quite compact, occupying but small space, but permitting almost unlimited expansion to accommodate deposited data sheets. In selecting individual group cards, it is a convenience to employ a knife blade, small spatula or pointed instrument, which may be placed upon the exposed overlap of the desired card, and then extended behind the succeeding card, which is easily oscil lated forwardly to expose the selected record.

For the purpose of indicating the condition of any particular record, as for instance the absence or removal of a person, an account which is closed, a stock supply which is exhausted, or other temporary indication, a thimble or ferrule 20 of colored celluloid or other transparent material may be slipped over the extremity of the corresponding name tag or slip 11, as is shown in Fig. 2. By providing such thimbles or ferrules 20 in a variety of colors, difi'erent conditions may be signalled in accordance with a predetermined code. In lieu of the thimble 20, a clip. or paper fastener such as shown in F ig. 7 may be clenched upon the upper end of the index strip. Such clips or paper fasteners are a well-known commodity and will require no special description. Likewise other methods of signalling may be employed as merely a cross mark upon the upper end of the name tag or a pin inserted therein.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a slight modification wherein in lieu of the transverse bar 13 at a mid height point upon the frame 9, there is provided a wire 22 extending transversely of the indexmember adjacent to its top edge. In this instance, the stop shoulders 15 have been elevated to the point shown at 15 to engage with the transverse wire 22. Also in lieu of a cap 20 closed at one end to be mounted on the end of the guide strips as shown in Fig. 2, there is disclosed in Fig. 8 a sleeve 23 open at both ends thru which the end of the guide strip is inserted, the sleeve resting upon the wire 22. These sleeves may be of different colors to indicate according to code, different conditions such as account closed, slow pay, absent, exhausted, etc. Likewise these collars or bands 23 may contain numbers asmay also the caps 20, indicative of days of the month on which the record pertaining thereto should receive attention.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the par ticular features of advantage before enumen ated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the princi ple involved or sacrificing any of itsadvantages.v o

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in-language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of. several modes. of putting the invention into elfect, and themvention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: i

1. In a card index file of the character described, a group of file cards each having a cut-out or tab of different extent, said cards being arranged in overlapping relation with the overlapped portion of succeeding cards simultaneously visible, selective guide designations borne upon the exposed portions of the overlaps, and an index member common to the group of cards comprising a holder, and a series ofi'emovable'index strips vertically disposed in said holder, there being one strip for each card, the strips being arranged in succession different from that of the cards to which they per-- tain, and selective guide designations on the respective strips agreeing with those of the associated cards.

2. In card index file of the character described, a group of file cards each having an individual identification character, an index common to the group of cards comprlsing a holder interposed between succeeding groups of cards and a series of vertically disposed removable strips, one for each card carried by the holder, each strip having thereon an identification character corresponding to that on one of the cards.

3. In a card index system of the character described, a plurality of file cards separated into alphabetical groups according to the initials of names to which the cards relate, each card bearing an individual identification character, index means for each group comprising a support card, a plurality of independently removable index slips arranged thereon, each slip bearing a separate name pertaining to one of the cards, said slips being arranged in a sequence according to a letter of the name succeeding that designating the group, each slip also bearing an individual identifying character agreeing with that o1 one of the cards.

4-. In a card index system, a group of name cards divided into alphabetical groups according to initials of the names, the cards of each group being numerically arranged, and an index for each group comprising a support and a series of removable tags, each tag bearing a name having the group initial, the name tags being arranged in a sequence in accordance With letters occupying a predetermined succeeding position in the name, said tags being further numbered in accordance with the associated cards.

5. In a card index filing system of the character described, a group of cards and an index thereforcomprising a support card, a series of independently removable strips carried thereby, each bearing index data pertaining to individual cards, a retaining bar transversely arranged across said strips beneath which the strips are longitudinally adjustable, and a shoulder formed on each strip for engagement with the bar to prevent accidental disengagement of the strip.

6. In a card index tiling system of the character described, a group of cards and an index therefor comprising a support card, a series of independently removable strips carried thereby, each bearing index data pertaining to an individual card, and a signal ferrule removably adjustable over the end 01 a strip to indicate a special condition of the record to which the index strip pertains.

7. In a card index filing system of the character described, a group of cards and an index therefor, comprising a support card, a series of independently removable strips carried thereby, each bearing index data pertaining to an individual card, and signal means attachable to the individual index strips to indicate according to a predetermined code some condition pertaining to the record to which the strip pertains.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of January, A. D.

RODNEY J. 001).

i/Vitnesses JOHN DINEEN, GEORGE G. HELWIG. 

